Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Pomolic acid inhibits proliferation of human lung carcinoma cells via induction of apoptosis and suppression of cell migration and invasion

Lixin Yang¹, Ying Guo², Qian Hao³, Danqing Li¹, Zhian Qiao¹, Yanli Cui¹, Jing Li⁴

¹Department of Radiation Oncology, Xingtai People’s Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, China; ²Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750002, China; ³Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Xingtai, Xingtai, Hebei 054001, China; ⁴Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050011, China.

For correspondence:- Jing Li Email: lijing_527@163.com Tel:+8631186077634

Accepted: 26 May 2022 Published: 30 June 2022

Citation: Yang L, Guo Y, Hao Q, Li D, Qiao Z, Cui Y, et al. Pomolic acid inhibits proliferation of human lung carcinoma cells via induction of apoptosis and suppression of cell migration and invasion. Trop J Pharm Res 2022; 21(6):1201-1207 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v21i6.10

© 2022 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the anti-proliferative effect of pomolic acid on lung cancer cells (A549), and the underlying mechanism.

Methods: The viability of pomolic acid-treated A549 cells was determined by MTT and colony formation assays. Cell colony formation was monitored with acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. Protein expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 were assayed by western blotting.

Results: Pomolic acid suppressed the growth of A549 cells, with an half-maximal inhibitory concentration of (IC₅₀) of 10 μM (p < 0.05). However, the IC₅₀ of pomolic acid for normal BEAS-2B cells was 80 µM. Pomolic acid also decreased colony formation of A549 cells. At 20 µM, the percentage of A549 colonies decreased to 14 % of control. The dose-dependent cytotoxicity of pomolic acid against A549 cells was mediated via induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress. Pomolic acid treatment enhanced the expression of Bax and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in A549 cells. Moreover, pomolic acid inhibited the migration and invasion in A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: These results indicate the potent anticancer effect of pomolic acid against human lung cancer cells. Thus, pomolic acid has promising potential as a lead molecule for the development of chemotherapy.

Keywords: Triterpenes, Pomolic acid, Lung cancer, Apoptosis, Caspase, Cell cycle